Berhampur: Tourism experts have urged concerned stakeholders to promote of uniqueness in potential states like Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Several experts made this suggestion Friday while speaking at the Tourism Exchange (TEX 2026) organised by Tourism India Alliance, a body working on the development of tourism in India at Gopalpur in Ganjam district.
Many of the participants are visiting Gopalpur sea beach town for the first time because when we talk about Odisha, people think about Puri, Konark or a few other places. But we have such beautiful and calm beaches in Odisha where tourists are eager to visit and spend some quality time, said Rajeev Kohli, a senior executive of a travel firm.
States like Odisha and Chhattisgarh have to identify their key areas for tourism, which makes the states unique and need to promote them on a larger scale, he suggested.
Odisha has huge potential in beach tourism, eco-tourism, Buddhist tourism, culture and heritage and a good tribal population, he said, adding that these things can be promoted to attract both domestic and international tourists.
Speaking at the event, Poonam Sharma from Chhattisgarh tourism board said the state government has been giving emphasis on the development of sustainable tourism.
It has given industry status to tourism in 2024 and also brought its own homestay policy. Several other steps were also taken to develop a proper tourism ecosystem in Chhattisgarh, she said.
Tourism India Alliance president Jagdeep Bhagat said the tourism destinations in Odisha now need promotion at the local and international level.
I have visited Odisha several times, but never been to Gopalpur, which has a peaceful beach. Several tourism spots like Taratarini, Jirang (known as Little Tibet) are located within 100 km of here. Such places need promotion, for which we have selected the beach town to organise our annual event, he said.
Bhagat appealed to the Odisha government and other stakeholders to explore such destinations.
The event was organised in Odisha from January 8 to 10. Several tourism professionals from state tourism departments, global tourism bodies, industry experts, and travel companies gathered under one roof, he said.
